The Government and the World Bank signed a $3.51 million grant financing agreement today. The grant will help the country improve risk-informed decision making and development planning in targeted sectors, leading to better public service delivery.
The Strengthening Risk Information for Resilience Project will generate nationwide climate and disaster risk information through the first-of-its-kind multi-hazard risk assessment. It will help develop an innovative and risk-informed decision support system by integrating risk information in targeted sectors such as infrastructure and construction.
Due to its geographical location, Bhutan is highly vulnerable to natural hazards, including flooding, landslides, glacier lake outburst floods, earthquakes, and forest fires. Climate change is further increasing the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters and extreme weather events.
The project will help strengthen Hydromet and Agromet service delivery and provide agro-meteorological advisories to approximately 5,140 households in 11 gewogs.
It will do so by increasing the Agromet Decision Support System’s weather forecast range from 3 days to 10 days; enhancing pest advisories and disease forecasting; and organizing Climate Field Schools for farmers.
Moreover, it will undertake a detailed survey of landslide hotspots along road networks using drones. This will help the Department of Roads make better risk-informed transport planning and investment decisions.
Further, the project will identify and prioritize vulnerable Dzongkhags and communities and strengthen their disaster risk management capacity.
Building on the ongoing World Bank financed operations, the project will also support the formulation of transformational policy and institutional reforms to strengthen the legal and regulatory foundations for long- term resilience in the country.
Press release from World Bank
